My Cardboard Balcony

I was just about to head to bed when I realized I had an introspection to write. I mean, I had a good week. Met an author, sold some books, entertained my sister's long-time friend, went to the city a couple of times, kept writing... Not really anything to be too introspective about, really. So...yay? Have a great night and a great weekend, everyone.

"Caramel Kisses" is an unfinished novel I began to write back in 2009 and stopped working on in 2010. The two main characters - Adriana Maguire Reynard and Emma Burking - would ultimately be revised for my later completed novella, "The Liffey Is Half-Asleep," in 2011. Several elements of "Liffey" can be found in their original forms in "Caramel Kisses," such as the characters' names, the haiku scene, and Adriana's penchant for writing. Because of its influence on my later writing, I figured that this story, though incomplete, was worth sharing. Caramel Kisses: Chapter Twenty-Two by Belinda Roddie You gave me caramel kisses under the redwood trees. Drawing me to your swollen chest, with leaves tangled in your hair, curling in the autumn winds, you breathed into me. You tasted so sweet, giving me caramel kisses under the redwood trees. We were alone now, in the depths of Muir Woods. The path waited patiently for us to trea

"It is not okay to withhold this valuable information from our students," Jean Thompson, Dean of Humanities, uttered, "nor is it okay to act like you never had it to begin with." "It is irrelevant to the daily routine of our - " "It is entirely relevant, President Viti," Thompson interrupted, slapping her palm down hard on the table for emphasis. "This is their tuition. It is their investment. And if you squander, you will have the hounds on your heels."